Seeds

Most plants produce seeds
of some kind, but not all
seeds are alike. Nature
not only has given them
different sizes, shapes,
and colors, but also has
packaged them in any unique
ways. Some are found inside
soft, fleshy coverings.
Who hasn’t noticed
seeds in apples, oranges,
peaches, tomatoes, and watermelons?
However, have you ever seen
the seeds in a banana? Its
tiny brown seeds are found
inside the soft fruit, and
most of us eat them without
even noticing they are there.

Some seeds are enclosed
in hard shells. Nuts are
a good example of this type
of unique packaging. Almonds,
walnuts, and pecans are
opened easily with a nutcracker,
but the tough outer shell
of a coconut is a different
matter. It may take several
blows with a hammer to crack
the outer shell, and then
you still will need to crack
the fiber-covered inner
shell to get to the milk
and raw coconut.

Pods are another packaging
method used by plants. Beans
and peas, which are actually
seeds, grow in this manner.
When the seeds are fully
developed, the pods are
split open and the peas
and beans removed. Sometimes
pods are harvested in the
early stages of growth,
and we eat them along with
the partially developed
seeds. Green beans and okra
pods are such examples.

Had you ever stopped to
think about how many different
kinds of seeds there are?
They can be round, flat,
oblong, smooth, wrinkled,
or fuzzy; and they may be
yellow, brown, red, green,
other colors, or even combinations
of colors. As different
as they may be from each
other, all seeds are alike
in three ways: in every
seed there is an embryo
(EM-bri-o) or baby plant;
each seed contains some
kind of food for the young
plant; and every seed has
a protective covering around
the young plant and its
food.

One of the truly amazing
things about a seed is that
the food stored in it for
the new plant remains usable
even though the new growth
does not start for weeks,
months, or even years. To
give you an extreme example,
researchers have been able
to germinate, or sprout,
grain seeds found in the
ancient Egyptian tombs.
However, since the dormant
(suspended or inactive)
period varies with different
seeds, the amount of time
that can pass between seed
formation and successful
planting will depend upon
the type of seed and the
conditions to which it is
exposed.

If you would like to take
a closer look at a seed
to study its parts and observe
its development, you might
find the lima bean an interesting
subject. Although originally
grown in a pod, the large
dried bean is now in its
true seed form. Its outer
surface is covered with
a hard protective seed coat.
If you soak this lima bean
seed in water for a few
hours, the seed coat will
soften and you will be able
to peel it off. Under the
seed coat you will find
two thick, fleshy parts
that are the food storehouses
for the embryo plant. Carefully
lift one away from the other
and you will see the tiny
plant nestled between them.

Now that you have proved
to yourself that the seed
really does contain a tiny
plant, you might want to
watch a lima bean plant
grow and develop naturally.
To do this, plant a few
lima beans in a glass of
moist soil or sand, being
sure to place them against
the glass so they can be
seen. The moisture in the
soil will soften the seed
coat so the tiny plant
can break through. (Soaking
the seed before planting
usually speeds sprouting
time.) The fleshy parts
will provide food for the
plant until its root system
and leaves are developed
enough for it to begin
to manufacture its own
food.

Under natural conditions,
the life of a seed is a
hazardous one. Only a few
survive to produce new
plants. In addition to
the many seeds eaten by
humans, wildlife species
also take their share.
Seeds that escape being
eaten must manage to sprout
in the soil. If the soil
is too dry, the seed plant
will die, and if it is
too wet, the seed may rot.
Weather that is too hot
or too cold also will destroy
the young plant in the
seed. To ensure that some
seeds will survive, plants
produce many more than
are needed. For this, wildlife
and humans both can be
thankful.

Think what it would be
like if there were no seeds
for us to eat. Our diets
would be drastically changed.
There could be no breads,
cakes, pies, or other bakery
products since the flour
used to make them comes
from wheat, barley, rye,
or other grain seeds. Corn,
peas, beans, and nuts also
would be eliminated. Coffee
and cocoa drinkers would
have to switch to tea since
coffee and cocoa bean seeds
would not exist. Pepper
and mustard are seasonings
made from ground seeds,
so we would have to learn
to do without them too.

If we also eliminated
the seed coverings, we
would have to give up fruits,
cucumbers, squash, pumpkins,
tomatoes, and that old
favorite, catsup. Lemonade,
orange juice, and apple
cider also would disappear
from our drink list. Mealtimes
would certainly seem strange
without all our seed favorites,
and Thanksgiving dinner
just wouldn’t be
the same without cornbread
dressing and pumpkin pie.

Whether they provide food
for humans, wildlife, or
new plants, aren’t
you glad seeds exist in
their many forms?